Throttle control device



Dec. 5, 1950 P. SEV R 2,532,861

THROTTLE CONTROL DEVICE Filed Dec. 5, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Dec. 5, 1950 P. SIEVER 2,

menu: con'moz. DEVICE Filed Dec. 5, 1e4s 2 sheets-sheet. z

VIA-"11111114711," 1111 9 I Patented Dec. 5, 1950 UNITED STATES 'FATIENT OFFICE THROTTLE CONTROL DEVICE Paul Siever, Minneapolis, Minn. ApplicationDecember 5, 1946', Serial No. 714,284

3 Claims. 1:

My invention relates to improvements in control mechanisms for motor vehicles and has particular reference to an accelerator controlled device.

An object of my invention is to provide a simple, inexpensive and practical device which may be applied to various standard types of motor vehicles and in which improved means are .provided for releasably maintaining. the accelerator in various adjusted positions so that a substantially constant speed may be maintained while the foot oithe vehicle operator is temporarily removed from the accelerator pedal, for any one of a number of reasons.

Another important object of my invention is the provision of a device in which the mechanism for maintaining the accelerator pedal in a given adjusted position is normally held: inoperative under the action of gravity, so as to permit normal use of the accelerator pedal, and to require manual setting of the locking mechanism.-

Another object of my invention is the provision of additional safety or precautionary mechanism associated with the brake mechanism whereby when the brake mechanism is putinto operation, the mechanism for temporarily locking. the foot throttle, in an adjusted position,. will be. automatically released.

,The above andother objects. will appear more clearly from the following detailed description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings which illustrate the preferred embodiment and modified forms of myinvention.

Referring to the drawings wherein like characters indicate like parts throughout the several views;

Fig.- l a view in cross section of the floor board in the drivers compartment of a motor Vehicle, showing my improved device, in side elevation, attached thereto;

Fig. 2 is a view corresponding to Fig. 1, but showing a difierent position of some of the parts;

Fig. 3. is a View in perspective of a ratchet and lever means of my invention;

Fig. 4 is a view corresponding somewhat to Fig. 2,- but showing a; modified form of my invention;

Fig. 5 is a view corresponding to 1 and showing a still' further modified form of my device; and

Fig. 6 is a section taken on the line 66 of Fig. 5.

Referring with greater particularly to the drawings,- particularly to Figs. I to 3 inclusive,-

the numeral I indicates the normally slanting portionof a floor board or a motor vehicle, and the numeral 2 indicates the conventional accelerator' rod which projects upwardly through an opening 3 in the floor board and terminates at its free end in a head 4'. Beneath the floor board i, the accelerator rod is connected to an extension rod 5 which leads to the" throttle valve of a carburetor; not shown. A link 6 is pivoted at i to the accelerator rod 2' and at its opposite end to a bracket 8' secured to the floor board". As shown, a coilextension spring 9 is interposed between the floor board I" and the link 6 whereby tobias the accelerator rod 2 in an upward direc tion. The" upper end 4 of the accelerator rod 2 engages a foot pedal H! which at one end is hingedly mounted tothe floor board, as at H.

One longitudinal edge of the pedal ill preferably, and as shown, has, adjacent the driver, a depending lug +2 to which is pivoted" as at 1'3- a depending ratchet M. The ratchet M- extends downwardly through an opening l5 in the floor board i and is provided with upwardly and outwardly projecting teeth [6; Cooperating latch means, as shown in the form of a latch plate IT, issecured by screws or otherwise to thefloor board l surrounding the opening l5 thereof. An opening IS in the latch plate ll, which directly overlies the opening [-5 in the floor board I, is provided witha latch or pawl detent l9;

Preferably integrally formedwiththe ratchet I' l and extending longitudinally of the foot-pedal I'll adjacent one sidethereof is a relatively short lever arm 2 0 which terminates a footengaging portion 21 adjacent the front end of the foot pedal Ill for engagementwith the toeof the operator. Also preferably integrally formed with the ratchet ti and extending longitudinally of the foot pedal i9 is a relatively long lever arm 22. The lever arm 22- is,-asshown, in direct opposition to the relatively short lever arm 20 and at' its extreme end is provided with an inturned foot engaging flange 23. which preferably, and as shown, overlies the upper surface of the foot pedal l0 adjacent its lower end.

. Due to the length of the relatively long lever arm 22, it should be obvious that, under the action of gravity, said arm- 2-2 will drop-on pivot 13 with respect to short arm Zil, thereby biasing teeth l6 of the ratchet M out of engagement with the pawl I9. (See particularly Fig. 1.)

Operation of the structure of Figs 1 to 3 inclusive monotonous pressure which it exerts upon the foot pedal til, he merely presses his toe downwardly upon the foot engaging portion 2i of the short lever arm 2t to bring one of the teeth iii of the ratchet i i into operative engagement with the pawl iii. The speed of the vehicle during the momentary absence of the operators foot from the foot pedals is determined by the setting of said foot pedal when the ratchet i l is swung into engagement with the pawl 9. The tension of the spring upon the foot pedal 59 through link 6 and accelerator rod 2 exerts sufficient pressure upon the cooperating pawl and ratchet to frictionally maintain the same in operative engagement against accidental release. To release the ratchet is from engagement with the pawl iii, it is but necessary for the operator to exert a very light pressure upon the foot pedal ill, whereby under the action of gravity, the heavy, relatively long lever arm 22 will swing from the position shown in Fig. 2 to that of Fig. 1. To positively disengage the teeth It of the ratchet it from the pawl is, it is but necessary for the operator to exert downward pressure upon the flange 23 of the relatively long lever arm 22.

In the modified i'orm shown in Fig. 4, I provide mechanism remote from the cooperating pawl and ratchet for automatically releasing the same from engagement. There, one such mechanism is disclosed in conjunction with the brake pedal mechanism and includes a ratchet releasing hook which is rigidly secured by a screw 25 or the like to the armature 26 of a solenoid 2?. The solenoid 2i is suitably mounted to the under side of the floor board i, and the rack engaging hook 2d and armature 25 are normally biased away from engagement with the ratchet it by means of a coil compression spring 28 encompassing the armature 26. Stop bracket 2s limits outward travel of the armature 2i; and the hook Ed. The solenoid 2? is actuated by a battery 38 or other source of current. One side of the battery is grounded as at 31. A lead 32 extends from one side of the battery to a switch 33 which is provided with a switch arm 36. A lead 35 extends from the switch 33 to one end of the coil of solenoid 27, the other end of which is grounded at 36.

The switch 33 is closed by pressure exerted upon the switch arm i l by the brake lever 3? oi the vehicle which is pivoted to part of the transmission housing as at 38. The brake lever 3? is provided at its free end with a foot engaging pedal portion 39. In all other respects, the structure of Fig. 4 is identical to that of Figs. 1 to 3 inclusive and bears the same identification indicia.

In the modified form of my invention illustrated in Figs. to 6 inclusive, the floor boards and throttle actuating mechanism are identical to the structures of Figs. 1 to 3 inclusive and also bear the same characters. However, as there shown, the foot pedal 40, which is pivoted to the floor board 5 at ti, is provided with a bracket 32 which extends transversely of the pedal to and is preferably fastened thereto by screws or the like 53. The bracket 32 is provided with a pair of downturned flanges which are pierced to receive a pivot pin or screw 46. Mounted for swinging movements on the pivot pin s is a ratchet 45 provided with teeth 48 along one longitudinal edge thereof. The ratchet is adapted to pass through the opening 55 on the door board l and through a latch plate d! attached thereto. The latch plate ll is similar to the latch plate I7 and is equipped with a pawl or detent :8. Preferably integrally formed with .and extending at right angles to ratchet s5 is a relatively short lever arm 49 which is threaded adjacent its free end to receive a look nut equipped stud 5i] formed with a foot engaging pad at its upper end. A relatively long lever arm extends from the ratchet 45 in a direction opposite to lever arm 49 and is threaded at its outer end to receive a lock nut equipped stud 53 which has a foot engaging pad 54 at its upper end. It will be noted (see Fig. 6) that the studs 53 and 53 are spaced one on each side of the foot pedal all and that the pads iii and 5d are substantially level with the top surface of the pedal 46 and are vertically adjustable. The Weight of the long lever arm E522 biases the ratchet 55 away from the pawl as of the latch plate ll; but as in the structure of Figs. 1 to 3 inclusive, suificient friction is maintained between the teeth 26 of the ratchet and the pawl 38 by action of the spring 9 to firmly hold the pedal it in any set position.

While I have illustrated several modified forms of my invention, it should be obvious that the same may be still further modified without departure from the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. In a device or the class described, a foot pedal adapted to be pivotally mounted on the floor boards of a vehicle in a position to engage and actuate the accelerator, a ratchet pivoted to said foot pedal and adapted to work through an opening in the floor board, a pawl adapted to be secured to the floor board adjacent the opening, opposed long and short lever arms secured to said ratchet, said long lever arm extending from said ratchet in a direction to gravity bias said ratchet away from engagement with said pawl, said short lever arm terminating in a foot engaging portion adjacent one side of said foot pedal and adapted to effect engagement of said ratchet with said pawl when the same is depressed, said long lever arm terminating in a foot-engaging portion adjacent a different side of said foot pedal and adapted to disengage said ratchet from said pawl when the same is depressed, and means for varying the elevation or the foot-engaging portions on each of said lever arms with respect to said foot pedal.

2. In a device of the class described, a foot pedal adapted to be pivotally mounted on the floor boards of a vehicle in a position to engage and actuate the accelerator, a ratchet pivoted to said foot pedal and adapted to work through an opening in the floor board, a pawl adapted to be secured to the floor board adjacent the opening, and opposed long and short lever arms secured to said ratchet, said long lever arm extending from said ratchet in a direction to gravity bias said ratchet away from engagement with said pawl, said short lever arm terminating in a foot-engaging portion adjacent one side of said foot pedal and adapted to effect engagement of said ratchet with said pawl when the same is depressed, said long and short lever arms extending along one longitudinal side edge of said foot pedal, said long arm terminating in a foot-engaging portion overlying the foot pedal adjacent its pivotal connection to the floor board.

3. In a device oi the class described, a foot pedal adapted to be pivotally mounted on the floor 'boards of a vehicle in a position to engage and actuate the accelerator, a ratchet pivoted to said foot pedal and adapted to work through an opening in the floor board, a pawl adapted to be secured to the floor board adjacent the opening, and opposed long and short lever arms secured to said ratchet, said long lever arm extending from said ratchet in a direction to gravity bias said ratchet away from engagement with said pawl, said short lever arm terminating in a foot-engaging portion adjacent one side of said foot pedal and adapted to effect engagement of said ratchet with said paw1 when the same is depressed, said long arm lever terminating in a foot-engaging portion on the opposite side of the foot pedal and adapted to disengage said ratchet from said pawl when the same is depressed.

PAUL SIEVER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 10 Number Name Date 1,224,034 Starr Apr. 24, 1917 1,281,891 Anderson Oct. 15, 1918 1,402,883 Newberry Jan. 10, 1922 1,633,348 Petsch June 21, 1927 15 1,662,211 Shier Mar. 13, 1928 1,826,906 Townsend Oct. 13, 1931 

